Wages of Sin

A Plague in Absalom

On the road to Absalom the Erstwhile Five awoke to find they were again the Erstwhile Four after the sudden and secretive disappearance of Bronlodious, and 50 coppers. Knowing Bronlo’s mission might differ from their own, the Erstwhile Four determined to continue to Absalom. During their trip the final day, the group noticed a quiet exodus of the wealthy from the city. Despite their honest questions, no answers were forthcoming.

The Erstwhile Four approached the West Gate of Absalom to find the gates heavily manned by the First Guard. Lazarus questioned a foot soldier manning the gate learning that Lord Gyr had ordered all gates sealed at sundown until further notice. Determined to find Conrad, the Erstwhile Four entered the city knowing they may not leave again.

Upon entering the main road separating Westgate and the Puddles, the Erstwhile Four determined their best course of action (championed by Lazarus) was to enter the Puddles.

Entering the Puddles may have been a fools errand, as the Erstwhile Four soon found themselves the focus of a brute squad’s investigative efforts, and thereafter the First Guard’s, but may have found a resource in retreating (that’s what it’s called when the tactically savvy run away like school girls), in the short stature of a Halfling named Philly Quickfingers.

Philly guided them to safety offering them a place to recover (hide) so the Erstwhile Four could regroup. Upon awakening, the Four find Absalom descended into chaos, the foul fingers of a plague ravaging the city. How quickly a night can change the face of a simple task.

From here the Erstwhile Four traveled across closed and wardened districts to seek Conrad at his Ivy District town home. Dodging patrols and facing others, the Four find the town home empty save for House Astym elfservant Kithem Seoral managing the estate. Kithem welcomes the Four, but has no information of Conrad’s whereabouts. A mystery is afoot!

Seeking more answers, the Four travel to the Coins district to question a merchant with a history of service to House Astym.

While travelling, the Four discover they are being tailed by a mysterious black-robed pair. The Four split with Lazarus and Kahir taking the robed followers head-on. A battle ensues! The Two are victorious.

Meanwhile, Varg and Xing speak with Oki Ginfuji and being rewarded with more questions than answers, and a quest to boot. To find the answers they seek, the Four must reclaim lost cargo for Oki, which lays in a customs limbo at a warehouse in the Docks district.

It's a MONTAGE!

So this is where we are thus far.

Kahir, Varg, and Lazarus, witnessed the overly guarded transportation of some oddly mystical/magical/divine object. With a little gumption and a lot of luck, they managed to locate where it was stored, barely escaping notice.

Bronlodious was assigned to research and protect the Keep by the River with some basic wards, which he did well, creating an ingenious alarm of illusions to distract would-be assaulters.

Kahir, Varg, and Lazarus were assigned by Conrad to intercept and escort a caravan from Diobel to the Keep by the River. No reason was given for the need for security, and no reason was given why the three of them should attend to it instead of the Keep’s force of men-at-arms and rangers.

The three erstwhile travelers discovered the caravan aflame, besieged by two humanoid constructs of flame. Through some quick thinking and brute strength, they overcame the elemental fires in time to defeat the undead who were raised from the corpses of the previous caravaners. Concurrently, Xing Wei, having left his pride to further his knowledge, smelled the fires and heard the sounds of battle and decided to investigate. Upon nearing the melee, Xing discovered a practitioner of magic hidden from the Erstwhile Three. They battled, Xing managed to force the Mage to run, and despite his efforts could not successfully track it.

During the battle with the undead, Kahir discovered the contents of one of the camel-drawn wagons: an obsidian box laid atop a bed of pure white sand. His first instinct: use the box to beat the skeleton, which was unsuccessful. However, the contents of the box were discovered to be that of the left leg of some reverse-articulated being of great stature. Lazarus speculated a demon, or other being of the lower planes, but only after stirring the blackened sand beneath the limb, sacrificing the life of his left hand in the process.

The Erstwhile Three, now Four, returned to the Keep by the River with the box, and in the process almost killing the camels carrying their shadowy cargo. Upon returning to the Keep, the Erstwhile Four met Bronlodious, who was in the midst of setting his wards – and who may be going crazy from hearing voices – and became the Erstwhile Five. They hid the box in a deviously simple location (under the stairs, because nobody looks there), and abandoned the castle. To Absalom they travel, in the hopes that their patron, Conrad, will know best how to handle whatever limb resides in the rune-covered obsidian crate.